There is a familiar ritual whenever World of Warcraft receives a substantial update. Thousands of players log in, open their quest journals, examine six different currencies, and spend the first twenty minutes wondering which of Blizzard's new activities they are supposed to do first. Somebody in guild chat has already finished something important. Somebody else is asking where the entrance is. And somewhere, a player is carefully calculating whether they have enough time to do everything before dinner.
Midnight Patch 12.1.5 arrives in Europe on October 14, bringing the Unbinding of Kith'ix raid, the enormous Labyrinth of Kindo'jan, Aqir Invasions, new campaign quests and another stage of Season 2 gear progression. It is considerably more content than most players would normally expect from a mid-season patch.
But not everything needs to be completed immediately. In fact, one of the most important new gearing systems will not become available until next week. So before you rush off to murder another ancient horror, here is how we would approach the first few days.
1. Visit Orin in Silvermoon Before Doing Anything Else
Your first destination should be Silvermoon City, where Orin Straylight begins the next stage of Season 2's upgrade system. During this week's maintenance, Orin receives the quest Ancient Depths, Ancient Venom. Complete it to begin his research into Ascendant Venomstones, which will become available following the next weekly reset, during the week of October 20.
This is important because the new upgrade currency does not start dropping immediately. Once the research is finished and the follow-up quest is completed, players can obtain Venomstones from Heroic and Mythic raid bosses, Mythic+ dungeons at +10 or higher, Tier 11 Bountiful Delves and Nightmare Prey Hunt Champion gear chests. Ten stones can then improve a fully upgraded Season 2 weapon, trinket or necklace beyond its normal item-level ceiling.
We have already explained how Ascendant Venomstones work and which equipment is eligible. The immediate lesson is considerably simpler: get Orin's research started, but do not spend the evening trying to farm currency that Blizzard has not enabled yet.
While you are there, make sure you have also completed the earlier research connected to the additional weekly Nebulous Voidcore. That system is already relevant to your current raiding plans.
2. Start the New Campaign and Meet Kith'ix
The Promise of Tomorrow continues the story following Ula'tek's defeat, returning players to Quel'Thalas and Zul'Aman as the ancient C'Thraxxi general Kith'ix emerges beneath the Coiled Isle. For anyone who has been following Midnight's increasingly unpleasant relationship with enormous subterranean creatures, this is the next chapter.
The storyline leads into The Unbinding of Kith'ix, a single-boss raid available in Story Mode, Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic and Mythic difficulties. Mythic groups can bring between 15 and 25 players, an unusually flexible arrangement that should make organizing a raid considerably easier than organizing twenty people who all agree on dinner.
Raiders should pay particular attention to the boss's equipment. Kith'ix offers Cantrip armor, weapons, trinkets and other rewards that can interact with existing Season 2 gear. However, do not base your plans on the original PTR item levels. As we reported when Blizzard reduced Kith'ix's Mythic loot from its initially generous values, this encounter is not intended to replace the hardest bosses in The Venomous Abyss.
If your guild is still progressing through the existing raid, there is another reason to examine this week's changes. Blizzard has also made Mythic Coiled Altar and Altar of Fangs considerably more forgiving. Your best progression opportunity might therefore involve content you were already attempting rather than abandoning everything for the new boss.
3. Give the Labyrinth of Kindo'jan a Proper Look
For solo players and smaller groups, the Labyrinth of Kindo'jan may be the most interesting addition in the entire patch. It is effectively a Delve that has grown considerably beyond the dimensions of a normal Delve, featuring nine chambers, multiple encounters and a much larger environment to explore.
Fortunately, Blizzard is not expecting everyone to finish the entire complex in one sitting. The Labyrinth supports progressing through individual sections, making it possible to explore without reserving an entire evening for the experience. We previously examined just how large Kindo'jan's map is compared with a standard Delve, and the difference is substantial.
Players interested in high-end solo progression should investigate the Tier 11 challenge early. Pre-release achievement information identified a limited first-week title, Fabled Vanquisher of Kindo'jan, although players should confirm its final live requirements in the achievement interface before planning around the deadline.
There are longer-term reasons to explore as well. The Labyrinth's questline was associated during testing with two selectable Myth-track armor rewards, while special glove enhancements are designed to improve performance specifically inside Delves and Labyrinths. Not every reward needs to be collected this week, but beginning the progression early is sensible.
4. Catch an Aqir Invasion When It Appears
Not everyone wants to spend their first evening underground. Fortunately, the Aqir have decided to make themselves a public nuisance in Eversong and Zul'Aman.
Aqir Invasions last just ten minutes each hour, giving players a limited window to complete a sequence of outdoor objectives before confronting a final boss. The scenarios feature different combat and non-combat tasks, with modifiers that can dramatically change how the enemies behave.
As we explained in our earlier look at the unusually short Aqir Invasion schedule, coordination matters. Players are rewarded for completing as many objectives as possible during the event, so showing up when an invasion begins is considerably more productive than wandering into the area eight minutes later.
These events are ideal for fitting between longer activities. Finish a campaign quest, catch an invasion, and return to whatever else you were doing. Just keep an eye on the event timing. The insects are not particularly interested in your calendar.
5. Keep Your Weekly Mythic+ Routine, but Plan for October 21
One mistake would be assuming that Patch 12.1.5 makes the existing Season 2 progression systems irrelevant. Your Great Vault, Mythic+ runs and raid opportunities still matter, particularly because several of the patch's biggest power increases are deliberately delayed.
The seasonal Crest cap will be removed during the week of October 20, while Ascendant Venomstones become available after the research chain is completed. European players should therefore be thinking about the October 21 reset as the next major gearing milestone.
High-end Mythic+ players also have the new Midnight Keystone Myth achievement to pursue, requiring a Season 2 rating of 3,600. That is a substantial target, but it gives players who have already mastered their usual weekly keys another reason to continue climbing.
For everyone else, this is a sensible week to review your equipment, finish useful upgrade paths and take advantage of the latest dungeon tuning. Blizzard has already adjusted several troublesome encounters, and the latest Altar of Fangs changes may make familiar routes noticeably more comfortable.
Do the Important Things First, Then Enjoy the Patch
Patch 12.1.5 does not require players to treat every activity as an emergency. Start Orin's research, pick up the campaign, examine Kith'ix's rewards and begin exploring the Labyrinth. If an Aqir Invasion happens while you are nearby, join in. If your guild has a scheduled raid, there is no compelling reason to abandon it simply because another boss has appeared beneath Azeroth.
The main thing to remember is that Midnight's mid-season refresh happens in stages. October 14 brings the new adventures. October 21 brings the next major opportunity to improve your equipment.
Which means, for once, you can spend the first evening exploring without immediately falling behind on a currency grind.
Enjoy it while it lasts. There will undoubtedly be another spreadsheet next Wednesday.
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